Without minding words, Joke encouraged the pupils to play a part in breaking the culture of silence when abuse occurs. Exhorting them to be courageous and speak out, Joke said: “Every time you keep quiet in the face of molestation and abuse, it means it can happen again and again. I can bet my last kobo that in this hall, there are young ladies and young gentlemen who have been abused and molested but never reported it.
“For those that want to travel out of the country ille­gally, there is no place like home. There is nothing wrong travelling out but when you travel illegally, you don’t have any safety net. Remember, our country may have its chal­lenges but we all have to work together to make it a better country.”
Comrade Osita Oseneme, founder, PCI, advised the pupils to play a leading role in the fight against vices that can affect the peace and development of the Nigerian society.
He said: “There are a lot of things that could lead you to desperation and take certain decisions which may not augur well for the society. Instead of keeping to yourself when you notice such things, speak out.
“It is important we create this culture of discouraging child labour, child abuse and human trafficking. A lot of things happen ignorantly and a large number of children are abused daily. Never trust strangers. We are not saying you should be rude but be very careful,” Osita added.
The objective of the event was to sensitise pupils on the dangers of social vices such as child abuse and human trafficking.